I really dislike WikiWords with spaces in them simply because they break the rules about what a topic will be called. For example, I know that the WikiWord that refers to me as say MartinCleaver, but if we suddenly allow spaces, is the topic's Wiki Word now Martin Cleaver or is it MartinCleaver? With the no-spaces-in-the-topic-identity rule you know it will always be MartinCleaver

-- MartinCleaver - 10 Jun 2001

Why not use underscores? Martin_Cleaver

-- DavidWeller - 18 Jul 2001

For the same reason. Is it Wiki_Word or WikiWord?

The only reason that we debate these things is because we have collapsed into the same thing the identity of a concept with the display of that concept. We want the identity to be easily findable. The display is another matter.

e.g. SniffPlusPlus (predictable identity) displayed as SNiFF++ (recognisable display)

-- MartinCleaver - 19 Jul 2001

Good points. Perhaps this is degenerating into some kind of Wiki Philosophy discussion (with, apparently, only two participants :-). HTML et al separates the identity (URL) with the display (text or even an image). That is counter to what Wiki tries to do, which is to support quick authoring of information. Selecting a regular pattern that is decreed to be a WikiWord is the only fair alternative. In fact, I'm rather un-fond (is that a word?) of the ability to support nonstandard Wiki words (i.e., making SNiFF++ a wiki word). I do like being able to randomly say "I show this, but I link to that ", but is that TheWikiWay? I'm not opposed to the [[topic]displayName] format, especially when it allows us to connect common words to topics in a meaningful way, but I think I'd just rather be able to preface something (or bracket it, maybe with ~tildes~) and just let topics be generated that way. I guess what I'm saying is that writing WikiWords doesn't necessarily help us with mental predictability. In fact, it's just the opposite, because if I write a product name that's actually a wiki word (like RequisitePro), I have to "nop" it so that it's not flagged as an uncreated topic. Which way is worse? I'd rather just put simple tags around the word like I do when I make something italic or such. Hey, go figure -- that's what I'm doing with LunaWiki! Yes, another Wiki, but written for a very special purpose.

-- DavidWeller - 19 Jul 2001

I agree with what is said -- if wiki didn't exist and had to be reinvented, I'd rather WikiWords were never invented. Let me do something simple like enclose a word or phrase in ~tildes~ (or whatever) and let that create the link, and let the phrase be displayed everywhere (page titles, in text) with spaces. (Underlined and blue as a link, larger font in a title, but in both cases, with proper spacing.)

One reason I feel this way is that I've tried to follow some of this discussion and thought (a little) about some of the problems we have to deal with if WikiWords are displayed with spaces in some cases, and not in others, and wiki links are allowed with spaces, but some are not. First of all it seems some are proposing that we be allowed to write a WikiWord and have it displayed some places with spaces, and some without, and others are requesting the ability to create a wiki link with spaces. It's hard to keep my head in the discussion.

Then, you have to think about how the page files are named -- with spaces or without, or go strictly based on what the "link" really is (i.e., allow both and consider them unique). (Which I think would be the appropriate approach.)

To summarize (and to cut short my ranting ;-), if I could create wiki links by surrounding a word or phrase with tildes, I would rarely, if ever, use a WikiWord. (If I ever considered forking TWiki (which I have neither the desire nor the current ability to do), this would be a primary reason.)

Then, addressing Martin's original concern, predictability is preserved because Randy Kramer will always have spaces (no remarks about between the ears, please ;-).

-- RandyKramer - 20 Jul 2001

How about this then:

1. Use SpacedWikiWordPlugin to space out all wiki words.
2. For any topic that needs a non-standard rendering, have it overridable by a DisplayedAs Meta

Hence:

Topic name	Current non-spaced display	Default spaced display	Overridden display
RonaldMacDonald	RonaldMacDonald	Ronald Mac Donald	Ronald MacDonald
RequisitePro	RequisitePro	Requisite Pro	RequisitePro
SniffPlusPlus	SniffPlusPlus	Sniff Plus Plus	SNiFF++

-- MartinCleaver - 22 Jul 2001

I don't like it. I think it has too much of a "hack" feel -- no need to solve a problem that doesn't affect too many people -- that goes against the goald of TWiki. Maybe this problem is better solved by a different Wiki

-- DavidWeller - 22 Jul 2001

Well, the SpacedWikiWordPlugin can be optional. You still get to have overridden display names for topics though.

-- MartinCleaver - 22 Jul 2001